Acco is only referenced once in the
Bible by this name. In Judges 1:31, it is referred to as one of the
places the Israelites failed to hold. In the New Testament, Acco was
known as Ptolemais, and was one of the stops on Paul’s final return to
Jerusalem (Acts 21:7). Ptolemais was situated on the main sea and land
route in ancient times. It served as the main port of the region until
Caesarea was built. Herod the Great received Augustus Caesar at this
site, since Caesarea had not yet been completed. Vespasian first docked
at Ptolemais when he came to subdue the First Jewish Revolt. Later, the
Arab inhabitants changed the name back to “Acco.”

Defensive Walls

Acco (then known as Acre) was
conquered by the Crusaders in 1104 A.D. They held Acco even after having
lost control of Jerusalem in 1187. It then became the greatest port of
their empire. The Mamluks ended Crusader rule in Acco in 1291. Napoleon
understood the strategic value of this site. He claimed that if this
port city had fallen to him, “the world would have been mine.” His 1799
siege failed.

Templars Tunnel

Five hundred years after the
Crusaders left, the Druze prince Fakhr ad-Din rebuilt the city. The
Muslims could not destroy the Crusader’s underground labyrinth, so it
can still be visited today. These buildings were originally
above-ground, but Al-Jazzar simply built his city over them. The
excavations were stopped for fear that the Arab town might collapse.
Today, most of the Crusader city is still buried. Only the area that is
originally known as the “Hospitaller’s Quarter” is open.

Al-Jazzer Mosque

The emerald-domed, 18th-century
Mosque of Al-Jazzar is the third largest mosque in Israel. Construction
began in 1781, on the site of San Croce, the original Christian
cathedral of Acco.
The Roman columns inside were taken from Caesarea. Inside the mosque is
a shrine containing a hair from the beard of Muhammad. Other hairs from
Muhammad’s beard can be seen in Istanbul, Turkey.

Sunset
from Acco

Related Websites

Acco (Christian Travel Study Programs) Provides a
brief introduction to the site, summarizing its history
and displaying a few pictures.